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1:57 PM: Big “heavy rescue” callout right now in the 2700 block of SW Trenton, and a texter (thank you!) tells us it’s a crash at the Westwood Village post office. (added) We’ve just arrived at the scene – looks like a pickup truck has hit the building to the left of the entrance. Avoid the Trenton entrance to WV – lots of emergency vehicles. More to come.

2:12 PM: One person is being checked out by medics. We’re trying to find out more about possible injuries. Just added a photo (above) from Natascha, showing the inside of the post office.

2:23 PM UPDATE: Seattle Fire spokesperson Kyle Moore is here now so we should get updated information shortly. Adding a different angle of the scene, from Val – thanks to everyone who’s been sharing photos (we have two photographers here but all views appreciated!). Again, AVOID the Trenton entrance to the shopping center for now.

2:32 PM UPDATE: Moore says that the driver of the pickup was not hurt. The person who was being checked out by medics has cuts/bruises from being hit by collision debris. The concern now is that the truck hit a brick support column – so the building’s structural integrity has to be addressed. Obviously the post office is closed TBA – if you have USPS business, go to the one in The Junction (on California SW between Genesee and Oregon). Moore estimates about three dozen people were evacuated here after the crash, including employees.

(This photo and next by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)3:03 PM UPDATE: Added video of Moore’s briefing. He says that while the brick column posed a challenge for SFD to remove, it apparently does NOT leave the building structurally compromised. We’ll be checking with USPS on when they believe they’ll be able to reopen the branch.

3:55 PM UPDATE: We asked local USPS spokesperson Ernie Swanson about the branch’s status. He replied: “The retail lobby is closed for the remainder of today. At this time we do not know if it will be open tomorrow. The area where the Letter Carriers work was not damaged so there should be no delay in mail delivery.”

FRIDAY MORNING, 7:39 AM: The post-office-box and mail-drop lobby is open, and from inside that lobby, looking through the doors to the “retail lobby,” it looks all cleaned up and ready to reopen at 8:30 am as usual – we will go check again then to be sure. (Update: Yes, it is.)

I was at the post office & called 911. I didn’t see the man run into the wall, but I heard it while I was in my car addressing envelopes. He walked away from the truck, but he was on crutches. I don’t know if that had anything to do with the accident. I don’t think his air bag deployed though. I thought that was strange.

I was walking out from mailing a package when it happened. It looked like the guy was about to back out but went forward instead. So glad that the line was so short; if the line had been as long as it often is, someone would have been badly hurt.

Isn’t it a little dramatic to have news choppers for something that small? When I saw the choppers I honestly thought there was a shooting or something really intense… that’s a little much if you ask me!

Having spent many years making the call … vehicle into building is always a chopper story if you have one. Makes a short visual story to fill another 20 seconds or so. Yesterday, though, the landscaper/hauler truck up on a sidewalk on SW Juneau brought out a chopper and THAT in my opinion was a waste of helicopter fuel … I might not even have written about it here except a helicopter is so visible/audible, it results in a ton of people wanting to know what it was all about. The other factor to keep in mind right this moment: February, May, and November are ratings months for TV. That’s why you see all the promotion for “investigative reports” – alleged government waste and health risks are really big. It’s been five years since I quit and when we look at TV news (mostly in the morning so we can monitor the traffic reports in addition to the scanner, Twitter, etc.), I’m perennially surprised at how little has changed … TR

Update: The post-office-box and mail drop lobby is definitely open – walked in to make sure. Looks like the “retail lobby” near the crash spot will be open too – we’ll check for sure at 8:30 am, but through its door, everything looks cleaned up and back to normal (except for the board covering the window). – TR

I did update this story first thing in the morning … they were all set to go from practically dawn – I walked into the PO-box lobby at 7:20 am, all was well, and clearly the regular lobby had been cleaned up … then co-publisher Patrick checked it out when they opened an hour later.

(Sound Transit file photo, Capitol Hill) By Tracy Record West Seattle Blog editor The in-person open houses are over. The online open house continues. You have less than two weeks to get your opinion(s) into the wide-open